It Will Rain
by Nobody's Perfect 26
Summary: When Molly and Isabella Swan move to the small town of Forks and meet the mysterious Cullen's, they are suddenly at the attention of every mythical being living in the small town. Will their decision to move back home be the worst thing they ever did or the best. And how will their relationship survive the struggles they are bound to face.
1. Chapter 1 - First Sight

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE TWILIGHT SAGA OR THE CONCEPT; ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE ORIGINAL OWNERS.**

**AN: This is going to be a Molly Swan X Jacob Black story but there will be many other couples mentioned as well. I will try to stick to the storyline as much as possible, but I will change some things to fit my own. Sorry about any grammar or spelling mistakes as I tend to type fast and miss things. All reviews are welcome, the more feedback I get the more inspired I am to write and the quicker I will update. Critique is appreciated as long as it's constructive and all questions asked will be answered at the bottom of each chapter.**

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><p><span>Chapter 1 – First Sight<span>

"Bye, Molly!"

"Good luck at your new school!"

"We'll miss you!"

The three fake tan athletic blondes say as they all climb into a Mercedes Convertible waving.

"Bye!" I wave as they drive away.

I turned around to see my mum; Renée and younger twin sister Isabella coming outside.

"It won't work again, baby," Mum told Bella giving her phone to her.

"You put it on hold," Bella said holding a baby cactus.

"I did?"

"Look you also called Mexico," Bella said laughing as Mum pushed her playfully.

"I'll figure it out. You gotta be able to reach me and Phil on the road – I love saying that – on the road."

"Very romantic," I say teasingly, joining the conversation.

Phil came out of the house then carrying two suitcases; one for me and one for Bella.

"If you call crappy motels, backwater towns and ballpark hotdogs romantic," he says coming over to us and putting his Phoenix Desert Dogs baseball cap on Mums head with a kiss.

As he loaded the car, Mum slipped her arms through mine and Bella's, walking us to the car.

"Now if you change your mind, I'll race back from wherever the game is," Mum says.

"We won't change our minds Mum," Bella says trying to reassure her, but the dread and doubt was clear on her face.

Both Mum and Phil drive us to the airport with the windows rolled down, the beautiful scenery in view. It was seventy-five degrees in Phoenix, the sky a perfect, cloudless blue. I was wearing my favourite green top with jeans, ready for the cold weather.

In the Olympic Peninsula of northwest Washington State, a small town named Forks exists under a near-constant cover of clouds. It rains on this town more than any other place in the United States of America. It was from this town that my mother left with my sister and me when we were only seven years old. It was in this town that we'd spent most of our holidays until we were thirteen. That was the year Bella put her foot down. Since then, my dad; Charlie, Bella and I vacationed all over the US during the holidays instead. Ironically it was to Forks that we were now heading – an action Bella took with great horror. She detested Forks.

"Bella," Mum said to her – the last of a thousand times – before we got on the plane. Phil was waiting in the car for her, giving us time to say our own goodbyes. "You don't have to do this."

"I want to go," She lied. She'd always been a bad liar, but she'd been saying this lie so frequently lately that it sounded almost convincing now.

"Tell Charlie I said hi."

"I will."

"I'll see you soon," she insisted hugging Bella tightly. "You can come home whenever you want – I'll come right back as soon as you need me."

I could see the sacrifice in her eyes behind the promise.

"Don't worry," I urged. "It'll be great. I love you, Mum."

"I love you too," she said coming over to hug me. "Look after your sister for me."

"I will," I whispered back so Bella wouldn't hear. I knew Mum would be worried about Bella. She didn't exactly make her hatred for Forks a secret. I on the other hand loved Forks. Sure I would miss the sun, the heat and the city, but Forks was home.

She hugged me tightly for a minute, and then we got on the plane, and she was gone.

It's a four-hour flight from Phoenix to Seattle, another hour in a small plane up to Port Angeles, and then an hour drive back down to Forks. Fun!

Dad had really been pleased about the whole thing. He was happy that we were coming to live with him for the first time with any degree of permanence. He'd already gotten us registered for high school and was going to help Bella get a car. Mine was being sent over as soon as possible.

When we landed in Port Angeles, it was raining. Dad was waiting for us with the cruiser. This was to be expected. Dad is Police Chief Swan to the people of Forks.

"Daddy!" I shouted jumping into his waiting arms as soon as I saw him.

"Good to see you too, Molly," Dad said chuckling, hugging me back just as tightly. "It's good to see you, Bells," Dad said, smiling as he automatically caught and steadied a stumbling Bella before pulling her into an awkward hug. "You haven't changed much. How's Renée?"

"Mum's fine. It's good to see you, too, Dad." Bella said.

We had only a few bags. Most of our clothes were too permeable for Washington, so it all fit easily into the trunk of the cruiser.

"I found a good car for you, Bells, really cheap," Dad announced when we were strapped in.

"What kind of car?" Bella asked, suspicious of the way he said 'good car for you' as opposed to just 'good car.'

"Well, it's a truck actually, a Chevy."

"Where did you find it?"

"Do you remember Billy Black down at La Push?" La Push is the tiny Indian reservation on the coast.

"No," Bella said, the same time I said; "Yes!"

"He used to go fishing with us during the summer," Dad prompted. "He's in a wheelchair now," Dad continued when she didn't respond, "so he can't drive anymore, and he offered to sell me his truck cheap."

"What year is it?" I could see from his change of expression that this was the question he was hoping Bella wouldn't ask.

"Well, Billy's done a lot of work on the engine – it's only a few years old, really."

"When did he buy it?" Bella asked not giving up so easily.

"He bought it in 1984, I think."

"Did he buy it new?"

"Well, no. I think it was new in the early sixties – or late fifties at the earliest," he admitted sheepishly.

"Ch – OW – Dad," Bella corrected herself when I pinched her on the arm. I never approved of how she called our dad Charlie. He's our father and should be addressed as such. It wasn't like he was a bad father either! He always tried to get time to see us, but it was Bella that never wanted to see him. The least she could do was called him Dad to his face! "I don't really know anything about cars. I wouldn't be able to fix it if anything went wrong, and I couldn't afford a mechanic..."

"Really, Bella, the thing runs great. They don't build them like that anymore."

"How cheap is cheap?" Bella asked after a couple of minutes.

"Well, honey, I kind of already bought it for you; as a homecoming gift." Dad said peeking sideways at her with a hopeful expression.

"You didn't need to do that, Dad. I was going to buy myself a car."

"I don't mind. I want you to be happy here." He was looking ahead at the road when he said this. Dad wasn't comfortable with expressing his emotions out loud and Bella inherited that from him. So she was looking straight ahead as she responded.

"That's really nice, Dad. Thanks. I really appreciate it."

"Well, now, you're welcome," he mumbled, embarrassed by her thanks.

I smiled happily before joining the conversation. Whilst Dad and I caught up, Bella stared out the window in silence.

Eventually we made it to Dad's. He still lived in the small, three-bedroom house that he'd bought with our mum in the early days of their marriage. There, parked on the street in front of the house was Bella's new – well, new to her – truck. It was a faded red colour, with big, rounded fenders and a bulbous cab. It was one of those solid iron affairs that never gets damaged – the kind you see at the scene of an accident, paint unscratched, surrounded by the pieces of the foreign car it had destroyed. It really was perfect for my klutz of a sister.

"Wow, Dad, I love it! Thanks!" Bella said, surprising us with her enthusiasm. Guess she thought the same as me!

"I'm glad you like it," Dad said gruffly, embarrassed again.

It took only one trip to get all our stuff upstairs. I got the south bedroom that faced out over the back of the house. The room was familiar; it had belonged to me since I was born. The wooden floor, the light blue walls, the peaked ceiling, the yellow lace curtains around the window - these were all a part of my childhood. The only changes made were switching the crib for a single and now a double bed with purple covers and adding a desk as I grew. The desk now held my new apple laptop and phone, a stipulation from my mother, so that we could stay in touch easily. The rocking chair from my baby days had been switched for an old pine dresser and was now in Bella's room.

Her room was a lot like mine. Instead of blue walls she had green with blue curtains. A strange combination but she seemed to like it. And instead of a double bed she still had the single from when she last visited as well as the rocking chair.

There was only one small bathroom at the top of the stairs, which I would have to share with Bella and Dad. I was trying not to dwell too much on that fact.

Dad left us alone to unpack and get settled, a feat that would have been altogether impossible for Mum.

Whilst waiting for Bella to be finished in the bathroom, I looked out the window. It was beautiful, of course; even Bella, who hated everything to do with Forks, couldn't deny that. Everything was green: the trees, their trunks covered with moss, their branches hanging with a canopy of it, the ground covered with ferns. Even the air filtered down greenly through the leaves.

When Bella was finished, I took my bag of bathroom necessities and went to the bathroom to clean myself up after the day of travel, thinking of what tomorrow would bring.

Forks High School had a total of only three hundred and fifty-seven – now fifty-nine – students. There were more than seven hundred people in my year alone back home. All of the kids here had grown up together – their grandparents had been toddlers together. I would be the new girl from the big city, a curiosity.

Neither Bella nor I looked like a girl from Phoenix should. Actually, other than the ivory skin tone that never tanned and chocolate brown doe eyes, which we shared you wouldn't even think we were related. She was small and slim standing at an average 5'4 whereas I was tall and curvy standing at 6'0. She has straight dark brown hair that falls halfway down her back, and I have long pale mahogany curls. Bella is mature and quiet and doesn't like to be at the centre of attention. I'm the childish one who doesn't know when to shut-up and gets all the unwanted attention. She can't walk along a flat surface without tripping whereas I can't sit still for five seconds. I sighed leaving the bathroom.

I called mum like I promised I would to tell her Bella and I were fine, before going to bed.

Thick fog was all I could see out my window in the morning.

Dad was just leaving for work when I came downstairs for breakfast. He wished Bella and me good luck at school before going off to the police station that was his wife and family. After he left, I sat at the old square oak table in one of the three un-matching chairs and examined his small kitchen, with its dark panelled walls, bright yellow cabinets, and white linoleum floor. Nothing had changed. Mum had painted the cabinet's years ago in an attempt to bring some sunshine into the house. Over the small fireplace in the adjoining handkerchief-sized family room was a row of pictures. First a wedding picture of Mum and Dad in Las Vegas, then one of the four of us in the hospital after Bella and I were born, taken by a helpful nurse, followed by the procession of our school pictures up to last year's. It was impossible; being in this house, not to realize that Dad had never gotten over our mum. It made me feel slightly uncomfortable.

I didn't want to be too early to school, but Bella, who was my ride, couldn't stay in the house any longer. I slipped on my jean jacket, before heading out into the rain.

Inside the truck, it was nice and dry. Someone had obviously cleaned it up, but the tan upholstered seats still smelled faintly of firewood and the sea. The engine started quickly to my relief, but loudly, roaring to life and then idling at top volume. Well, a truck this old was bound to have a flaw. The antique radio worked, a plus that I hadn't expected.

Finding the school wasn't difficult, though neither Bella nor I had ever been there before. The school was, like most other things, just off the highway. It was not obvious that it was a school; only the sign, which declared it to be the Forks High School, made Bella stop. It looked like a collection of matching houses, built with maroon-coloured bricks. There were so many trees and shrubs I couldn't see its size at first.

Bella parked in front of the first building, which had a small sign over the door reading front office. I stepped unwillingly out of the toasty truck and walked down a little stone path lined with dark hedges, Bella stumbling behind.

Inside the office, it was brightly lit, and warm. The office was small; a little waiting area with padded folding chairs, orange-flecked commercial carpet, notices and awards cluttering the walls, a big clock ticking loudly. Plants grew everywhere in large plastic pots. The room was cut in half by a long counter, cluttered with wire baskets full of papers and brightly coloured flyers taped to its front. There were three desks behind the counter, one of which was manned by a large, red-haired woman wearing glasses.

The red-haired woman looked up. "Can I help you?"

"I'm Molly Swan and this is my sister Isabella," I informed her, and saw the immediate awareness light her eyes. We were expected, a topic of gossip no doubt – daughters of the Chief come home at last.

"Of course," she said. She dug through a precariously stacked pile of documents on her desk till she found the ones she was looking for. "I have your schedules right here, and maps of the school." She brought several sheets to the counter. She went through our classes with us, highlighting the best route to each on the map, and gave us each a slip to have all our teachers' sign, which we were to bring back at the end of the day. She smiled at us and hoped, like dad, that we would like it here in Forks. I smiled back before going back out to the truck, where other students were starting to arrive.

Most of the cars were older like Bella's, nothing flashy. Back in Phoenix it was a common thing to see a new Mercedes or Porsche in the student lot. The nicest car here was a shiny Volvo, a different model to mine but it still stood out.

Still, Bella cut the engine as soon as we were in a spot, so that the thunderous volume wouldn't draw attention to us. I looked at the map in the truck, trying to memorize it now; so I wouldn't have to walk around with it stuck in front of my nose all day. I put everything in my bag, slung the strap over my shoulder, and stepped out of the truck.

I walked to the sidewalk, crowded with teenagers and headed for the gym.

The PE teacher, Coach Clapp, found me a uniform, which was a little too small on me, and showed me to the girls changing rooms.

"You're Isabella Swan, right?" a good-looking baby faced boy with blonde hair and blue eyes said as I stepped out of the changing rooms.

"Molly, Bella's my sister," I corrected him.

"I'm Tyler. Tyler Crowley," a tall athletic guy with black curly hair and dark eyes says slinging his arm over the blonde guys shoulder. "And this is Mike Newton. Aren't you from Arizona?"

"Yeah," I say trying to subtly pull my top down a bit as he looked me over.

"Aren't people from down their supposed to be really tanned?" he asks flirtily.

"Guess that's why they kicked me out," I say making Mike laugh and Tyler smirk appreciatively.

PE went by really fast, and all too soon it was time for my next lesson. I had already gotten my first detention too! To be fair though, the girl was asking for the ball to the back of the head. Anyway if she hadn't been too busy bitching she would have seen the ball coming at her! My team still won though!

"You're Molly Swan, the new girl?" A tall Asian boy with hair as black as an oil slick, brown eyes, and a poor complexion said coming up behind me. "Hi. I'm Eric Yorkie, the eyes and ears of this place. Anything you need. Tour guide, lunch date, shoulder to cry on."

"Oh, I'm good," I reply slightly overwhelmed. Is this guy for real? "Would you mind pointing me in the direction of Math's, I think I'm lost."

"Mr. Varner?" He asks and I nod. "I'm in his class too, this way," he says leading me in the right direction. "You've missed a lot of the semester but I can hook you up – tutor, cliff notes, medical excuse…"

The classroom was small. I hung my coat up on one of the hooks, like everyone else before taking the slip up to the teacher, a tall, balding man whose desk had a nameplate identifying him as Mr. Varner. He sent me to a desk near the back of the class, next to an over helpful Eric.

"So, this is a lot different from Phoenix, huh?" he asked once the teacher set the work.

"Very," I said not looking up from writing.

"It doesn't rain much there, does it?"

"Three or four times a year," I say finally looking at him.

"Wow, what must that be like?"

"Sunny," I tell him smiling. "And hot!"

By lunch time, I started to recognize several of the faces in each class. There was always someone braver than the others who would introduce themselves and ask me questions about how I was liking Forks.

Mike pulled a chair out for me as I walked over to the table with Eric and sat next to me.

"Mike, you met my home girl Molly?" Eric asked sitting next to him.

"Your home girl?"

"My girl!" Tyler said popping out of nowhere and kissing me on the cheek. He pulled Mike's chair from under him and ran off with Mike chasing after him.

Eric introduced me to his other friend, a tall pretty girl with light brown hair and gentle brown eyes named Angela Webber before leaving with the boys. Bella soon joined us being dragged along by a tiny girl with wildly curly dark brown hair and blue eyes called Jessica Stanley.

"It's like first grade all over again, and you're the shiny new toy," Jessica says jealously watching the boys run away, obviously seeing what had just occoured.

It was there, sitting in the lunchroom, that I first saw them.

They were sitting in the corner of the cafeteria, as far away from where I sat as possible in the long room. There were five of them. They weren't talking, and they weren't eating, though they each had a tray of untouched food in front of them. They weren't gawking at Bella and me, unlike most of the other students, so it was safe to stare at them without fear of meeting an excessively interested pair of eyes. But it was none of these things that caught, and held, my attention. They didn't look anything alike. Of the three boys, one was big – muscled like a serious weight lifter, with dark, curly hair. Another was taller, leaner, but still muscular, and honey blond. The last was lanky, less bulky, with untidy, bronze-coloured hair. He was more boyish than the others, who looked like they could be in college, or even teachers here rather than students. The girls were opposites. The tall one was statuesque. She had a beautiful figure, the kind you saw on the cover of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, the kind that made every girl around her take a hit on her self-esteem just by being in the same room. Her hair was golden, gently waving to the middle of her back. The short girl was pixie like, thin in the extreme, with small features. Her hair was a deep black, cropped short and pointing in every direction. And yet, they were all exactly alike. Every one of them was chalky pale, the palest of all the students living in this sunless town – paler than Bella and I. They all had very dark eyes despite the range in hair tones. They also had dark shadows under those eyes – purplish, bruise like shadows; as if they were all suffering from a sleepless night, or almost done recovering from a broken nose – though their noses, all their features, were straight, perfect, and angular.

But all this is not why I couldn't look away.

I stared because their faces, so different, so similar, were all devastatingly, inhumanly beautiful. They were faces you never expected to see except perhaps on the airbrushed pages of a fashion magazine, or painted by an old master as the face of an angel. It was hard to decide who was the most beautiful – maybe the perfect blond girl, or the muscular guy.

They were all looking away – away from each other, away from the other students, away from anything in particular as far as I could tell. As I watched, the small girl rose with her tray – unopened soda, unbitten apple – and walked away with a quick, graceful lope that belonged on a runway. I watched, amazed at her lithe dancer's step, till she dumped her tray and glided through the back door, faster than I would have thought possible. My eyes darted back to the others, who sat unchanging.

"Who are they?" I asked Jessica, ignoring her earlier outburst. She seemed like the gossip of the group.

As she looked up to see who I meant – though already knowing, probably, from my tone – he looked at her, the thinner one, the boyish one, the youngest, perhaps. He looked at my neighbour for just a fraction of a second, and then his dark eyes flickered to mine.

He looked away quickly. In that brief flash of a glance, his face held nothing of interest – it was as if she had called his name, and he'd looked up in involuntary response, already having decided not to answer.

My neighbour giggled in embarrassment, looking at the table.

"That's Edward and Emmett Cullen, and Rosalie and Jasper Hale. The one who left was Alice Cullen; they all live together with Dr. Cullen and his wife." She said this under her breath.

I glanced sideways at the bronze-haired boy, who was looking at his tray now, picking a bagel to pieces with long, pale fingers. His mouth was moving very quickly, his lips barely opening. The other three still looked away, and yet I felt he was speaking quietly to them.

Strange, unpopular names, I thought. The kinds of names grandparents had.

"They are... very nice-looking." Bella struggled with the conspicuous understatement.

"Yes!" Jessica agreed with another giggle. "They're all together though. Like together, together – Emmett and Rosalie, and Jasper and Alice, I mean...I'm not even sure that's legal!"

"Jess, they're not actually related," Angela defended them.

"But they live together, its weird!" Her voice held all the shock and condemnation of the small town, I thought critically. But, if I was being honest, I had to admit that even in Phoenix, it would cause gossip.

Angela ignored her and turned to explain to Bella and me. "Dr. Cullen is really young, in his twenties or early thirties. They're all adopted. The Hales are brother and sister, twins – the blondes – and they're foster children."

"They look a little old for foster children." Bella said looking at the bronze-haired boy; Edward?

"They are now, Jasper and Rosalie are both eighteen, but they've been with Mrs Cullen since they were ten. She's their aunt or something like that."

"That's really kind of nice – for them to take care of all those kids like that, when they're so young and everything." I said admirably.

"I guess so," Jessica admitted reluctantly, and I got the impression that she didn't like the doctor and his wife for some reason. With the glances she was throwing at their adopted children, I would presume the reason was jealousy. "I think that Mrs. Cullen can't have any kids, though," she added, as if that lessened their kindness.

I shot her a glare before looking back at the table where the family sat. They continued to look at the walls and not eat.

"Have they always lived in Forks?" I asked. Surely I would have noticed them!

"No," she said in a voice that implied it should be obvious, even to a new arrival like me. "They just moved down two years ago from somewhere in Alaska."

I felt a surge of pity. As beautiful as they were, they were outsiders, clearly not accepted. Like me in Phoenix...

As I examined them the blonde boy, Jasper, looked up and met my gaze with evident curiosity in his expression. He quickly looked down again, his mouth moving very quickly, lips barely opening like the bronze-haired boy before.

The youngest of the Cullens then looked up and met my gaze before answering him.

"Which one is the boy with the reddish brown hair?" Bella asked, peaking at him from the corner of her eye. He was staring at her now, but not gawking like the other students had today – he had a slightly frustrated expression. His glance held some kind of unmet expectation.

She looked down again.

"That's Edward. He's gorgeous, of course, but don't waste your time. He doesn't date. Apparently none of the girls here are good enough for him." She sniffed a clear case of sour grapes. "Like I care, you know," she said trying to laugh it off. I wondered when he'd turned her down.

Laughter filled my ears and I looked around in confusion. Angela was giggling softly as Bella looked down trying to hide her smile. Jess glared at me, blushing. My eyes widened.

"I said that out loud, didn't I?" I say, realisation dawning on me.

Booming laughter made me look back over to the Cullen table.

It was the big one, who had made me look back over; his head was thrown back as he laughed loudly getting odd looks from everyone. I glanced at the others. The blondes were smirking and although Edward's face was turned away, his cheek appeared lifted, as if he too, were smiling.

After a few more minutes, the four of them left the table together. They all were noticeably graceful – even the big, brawny one. It was unsettling to watch. The one named Edward didn't look at neither Bella nor me again.

I sat at the table with Jessica and Angela a little longer before heading to Geography with Bella.

My eyes immediately found Edward and Alice Cullen the moment I stepped into class. Alice attempted an awkward yet polite smile whilst her brother glared at us, black eyes full of fury and revolution. Taken aback, Bella and I introduce ourselves before being directed our seats in front of the Cullens.

I didn't look up as I set my book on the table and took my seat next to the window, but I saw Edwards posture change from the corner of my eye. He was leaning away from Bella and me, sitting on the extreme edge of his chair and averting his face.

I tried to pay attention to the teacher but every now and then my eyes wondered over to them.

During the whole class, he never relaxed his stiff position on the edge of his chair, sitting as far from us as possible. I could see his hand on his left leg was clenched into a fist, tendons standing out under his pale skin. This, too, he never relaxed. He had the long sleeves of his white shirt pushed up to his elbows, and his forearm was surprisingly hard and muscular beneath his light skin. He wasn't nearly as slight as he'd looked next to his burly brother.

He continued to sit so still it looked like he wasn't breathing through the rest of the lesson. What was wrong with him? Was this his normal behaviour? I questioned my judgment on Jessica's bitterness at lunch today. Maybe she was not as resentful as I'd thought.

I peeked up at him one more time. He was glaring down at me again. Having had enough, I glared back at him. This seemed to surprise him as his eyes widened slightly making him loose the glared before turning his focus back onto the work.

At that moment, the bell rang loudly, and Edward Cullen was out of his seat. Fluidly he rose and he was out the door before anyone else was out of their seat.

I sat in my seat, staring blankly after him. Why was he acting so…mean? Is it something I'm going to have to get used to? I began gathering up my things slowly, trying to calm myself down when Alice walked over.

"Hey, you're Bella and Molly Swan, right?" she asked in a silvery bell-like voice.

"Umm, yeah," I say for us both as Bella looked too scared to answer.

"I'm Alice. I'm sorry about how my brother was acting. It hasn't been a good day for him," she said looking at us nervously.

"It's fine," I reply smiling politely. How sweet!

A look of relief came across her face before she smiled cheerfully.

"I'll see you around, Bella, Molly," she called skipping towards the door and following after her brother.

Bella and I walked slowly to the office to return our paperwork. The rain had drifted away, but the wind was strong, and colder. I wrapped my arms around myself.

Edward Cullen was stood at the desk in front of us when we walked into the warm office.

The cold wind gust through the room, rustling the papers on the desk, swirling my hair around my face as I closed the door behind us. Edward Cullen's back stiffened, and he turned slowly to glare at us with piercing, hate-filled eyes.

The look only lasted a second, but Bella looked frozen in fear as he turned back to the receptionist.

"Never mind, then," he said hastily in a voice like velvet. "I can see that it's impossible. Thank you so much for your help." And he turned on his heel without another look at either of us.

I glared at him as he walked past. What a jerk!

He paused slightly before disappeared out the door.

I grabbed Bella's hand in my own and gently pulled her up to the desk, her face white as I handed both of our signed slips in.

"How did your first day go, dear?" the receptionist asked maternally.

"Fine," I say not really paying attention before dragging Bella out the door.

When we got to the truck, it was almost the last car in the lot.

Taking the keys off Bella I climbed into the driver's side. I turned the key and the engine roared to life. We headed back home in silence, Bella, fighting tears the whole way there.


	2. Chapter 2 - Open Book

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE TWILIGHT SAGA OR THE CONCEPT; ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE ORIGINAL OWNERS.**

**AN: This is going to be a Molly Swan X Jacob Black story but there will be many other couples mentioned as well. I will try to stick to the storyline as much as possible, but I will change some things to fit my own. Sorry about any grammar or spelling mistakes as I tend to type fast and miss things. All reviews are welcome, the more feedback I get the more inspired I am to write and the quicker I will update. Critique is appreciated as long as it's constructive and all questions asked will be answered at the bottom of each chapter.**

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><p><span>Chapter 2 – Open Book<span>

That night, after work, Dad took Bella and me out for dinner in celebration of us coming to Forks; as yesterday we were too tired from travelling. We went to a diner down in La Push. Apparently he came here a lot as everyone seemed familiar with him; not to mention he had no food in the house and couldn't cook much besides fried eggs and bacon.

"I can't get over how grown up you both are. And so gorgeous," Cora our waitress said as she gave us our food.

"Member me, honey," a bearded guy said coming up behind Cora. "I was Santa one year."

"Waylon, they haven't had a Christmas here since they were six," dad said rolling his eyes.

"Bet I made an impression though," Waylon replied unfazed.

"You always do."

"Let the girls eat their food, Waylon," Cora said shooing him away as I looked on in amusement and Bella discomfort. "When you're done I'll bring out your favourite – berry cobbler!"

"Thank you," Bella and I said surprised she remembered.

I cringe as Dad and Bella both move to reach for the salt and knock hands. Dad reaches for the ketchup instead and an awkward silence takes over.

"So you eat here every night?" I ask loudly trying to cut the tension as another family laugh happily from a table near ours.

"Easier than washing dishes," Dad replies as I shoot a pleading look at Bella.

"I can cook," she speaks up as Dad looks at her, as if confused by the concept.

"I do the cooking at home - in Phoenix I mean. Mums not great in the kitchen, and Molly seems to have inherited that."

"Oi!" I jokingly call her out, laughing as we recalled some especially bad dinners made by mum and myself, glad they were bonding over it.

The next couple of days were better…and worse. It was better because Bella and I had settled into Forks well. It didn't rain as much as we expected it to, although there were a few clouds... and we had our new group of friends! It was worse because my little sister was always on edge. No matter how many times I had tried to comfort her, Edward Cullen had really scared her on our first day here!

After school we went to get food from the local supermarket Thriftway (well Bella reluctantly let me come with her – something about me never sticking to the shopping list and buying anything that looks good?). We quickly went home so Bella could get her shopping list and the cash from the jar in the cupboard labelled FOOD MONEY, and then we were on our way to the Thriftway.

When we got home, I helped unload all the groceries, stuffing them in wherever I could find an open space, much to Bella's displeasure. When I was finished with that, I took my bag upstairs and called Mum, whilst Bella started on the dinner.

"If spring training goes well, we could be living in Florida permanently!" Mum finished excitedly.

"Please insert 25 cents to continue," a robotic voice said down the phone.

"Mum, where's your phone?" I asked giggling, suddenly realizing why mum called me back instead of answering her phone.

"Okay, I didn't lose my power cord. It ran away, screaming. I literally repel technology now!" She said making me smile sadly. I missed my Mum! "Now tell me about your school, baby. What are the kids like? Are there any cute boys? Are they being nice to you?" The last question was concerned.

In Phoenix I had trouble making friends because I was different. I had a different style, a different personality. I didn't follow the latest trends, and I didn't have the newest and most expensive things. I was considered weird, a freak. It was also why I reacted so harshly towards Edward Cullen, how judgy Jessica was being about the Cullen's and the girl in PE. I refused to become that person again.

"Everyone is really welcoming, mum," I say truthfully. Well almost everyone was. I started telling her about all the friends I had made, my classes, and everything else that had happened. I hung up when I heard the front door opening.

"Molly? Bella?" Dad called closing the door behind him.

"Daddy!" I shout nearly toppling down the stairs as Bella ran past to check on the dinner.

He hung up his gun belt and stepped out of his boots. As far as I was aware, he'd never shot the gun on the job. But he kept it ready. When Bella and I came here as kids, he would always remove the bullets as soon as he walked in the door. I guess he considered us old enough now not to shoot ourselves by accident, and not depressed enough to shoot ourselves on purpose.

"What's for dinner?" he asked warily. When we said Mum was a bad cook we meant she was an imaginative cook, and her experiments weren't always edible; a trait I seemed to have picked up from her.

"Steak and potatoes," I answered as Bella served it up. He looked relieved.

"Smells good, Bells," Dad said sniffing appreciatively as we sat down at the table.

"Thanks."

"So, how did you like school? Have you made any friends?" He asked digging in.

"Well, I have a few classes with a girl named Jessica. I sit with her and her friends at lunch. And there's this boy, Mike, who's very friendly. Everybody seems nice." Bella said politely. To be honest, Mike has seemed to have taken on the qualities of a golden retriever; loyal and obsessively following Bella and I around. It was kind of annoying!

"That must be Mike Newton. Nice kid – nice family. His dad owns the sporting goods store just outside of town. He makes a good living off all the backpackers who come through here."

"Do you know the Cullen family?" Bella asked hesitantly.

"Dr. Cullen's family? Sure. Dr. Cullen's a great man."

"They... the kids... are a little different. They don't seem to fit in very well at school."

Dad surprised us by looking angry. "People in this town," he muttered. "Dr. Cullen is a brilliant surgeon who could probably work in any hospital in the world, make ten times the salary he gets here," he continued, getting louder. "We're lucky to have him – lucky that his wife wanted to live in a small town. He's an asset to the community, and all of those kids are well behaved and polite. I had my doubts, when they first moved in, with all those adopted teenagers. I thought we might have some problems with them. But they're all very mature – I haven't had one speck of trouble from any of them. That's more than I can say for the children of some folks who have lived in this town for generations. And they stick together the way a family should – camping trips every other weekend... Just because they're newcomers, people have to talk."

It was the longest speech I'd ever heard dad make. He must feel strongly about whatever people were saying.

"They seemed nice enough to me. They're all very attractive," I added, trying to be more complimentary.

"You should see the doctor," Dad said, laughing. "It's a good thing he's happily married. A lot of the nurses at the hospital have a hard time concentrating on their work with him around."

We lapsed into silence as we finished eating. Dad cleared the table while Bella started washing the dishes by hand – no dishwasher – and I dried up and put away.

After washing up Dad and I went into the living room to watch TV, whilst Bella went to her room to do homework. I could feel a tradition in the making.

The rest of the week was uneventful. I got used to the routine of my classes; and the classes got used to me; I mean I was pretty much banned from Science now! Well, the practical side of it at least. By Friday I was able to recognize, if not name, almost all the students at school.

My first weekend in Forks passed without incident. Dad, unused to spending time in the usually empty house, worked most of the weekend. I stayed at home redecorating slightly so it wasn't so awkward. Those yellow cabinets for example are now a pretty teal colour that I'd found lying around the house. Instead of the photos of him and mum I had put up other pictures of Bella and me as kids (my favourite being a picture of when she was 10 at one of our ballet lessons. She was sitting stubbornly on the ground in her little pink tutu with a scowl on her face) and some pictures I'd found of him, Billy Black, Harry Clearwater and some other friends, which mainly consisted of them fishing. To say Dad was surprised when he came home would be an understatement! Although surprised he seemed to like the changes I'd made.

People greeted me in the parking lot Monday morning. By then I'd forgotten most of their names, but I waved back and smiled at everyone. It was colder this morning, but not raining. When we walked out of gym, the air was full of swirling bits of white. I could hear people shouting excitedly to each other.

"Wow," Mike said. "It's snowing."

I looked at the little cotton fluffs that were building up along the sidewalk and swirling erratically past my face.

"I thought it was supposed to come down in flakes – you know, each one unique and all that. These just look like the ends of Q-tips." I asked holding out my hand and watching them fall onto it confused.

"Haven't you ever seen snow fall before?" Mike asked incredulously.

"Sure I have." I paused." On TV."

Mike laughed, and then a big, ball of snow smacked into the back of his head. We all turned to see where it came from. I had my suspicions about Tyler, who was walking away, his back toward us – in the wrong direction for his next class. Mike apparently had the same notion. He bent over and began scraping together a pile of snow.

"I'll see you at lunch, okay?" I said walking backwards so I still faced him. There was no way I was getting involved in whatever sudden rivalry was going on between the two of them.

He just nodded his eyes on Tyler's retreating figure.

Throughout the morning, everyone chattered excitedly about the snow; apparently it was the first snowfall of the year. I walked to the cafeteria with Eric after Math's. Snow balls were flying everywhere. We caught up with Bella, Jess and Mike who were talking animatedly about the snow fight as we got in line to buy food.

"Hello? Bella? What do you want?" Jess asked making me look at my sister.

"What's with Bella?" Mike asked Jess as I looked towards the Cullen's table. Edward was back.

"Nothing," I answered for her. "She's fine."

"I'll just get a soda today." Bella added.

"Aren't you hungry?" Jess asked.

"She can share mine," I said and Bella shot me a grateful smile.

Bella waited for us to get our food, and then followed us to our table, her eyes on her feet. I glanced at my sister every now and then to make sure she was alright. She was sipping at her soda slowly, glancing at the Cullen table through her lashes.

I looked over too, not being as discreet about it.

They were laughing. Edward, Jasper, and Emmett all had their hair entirely saturated with melting snow. Alice and Rosalie were leaning away as Emmett shook his dripping hair toward them. They were enjoying the snowy day, just like everyone else – only they looked more like a scene from a movie than the rest of us.

But, aside from the laughter and playfulness, there was something different, and I couldn't quite pinpoint what that difference was. I examined them carefully. Their skin was less pale – flushed from the snow fight maybe – the circles under their eyes much less noticeable. But there was something more.

Tearing my gaze off their faces I noticed they were all dressed exceptionally well; in clothes that subtly hinted at designer origins. With their remarkable good looks, the style with which they carried themselves, they could have worn dishrags and pulled it off.

"Bella, Molly what are you staring at?" Jess asked, her eyes following our stare. At that precise moment, Edwards's eyes flashed over to meet Bella's.

She dropped her head, letting her hair fall to conceal her face. He didn't look harsh or unfriendly as he had the last time I'd seen him. He looked merely curious again, unsatisfied in some way.

"Edward Cullen is staring at you," Jess giggled to Bella.

"He doesn't look angry, does he?" she asked.

"No," she said, sounding confused by the question. "Should he be?"

"I don't think he likes me," Bella confided sadly, put her head down on her arm. I placed my hand on hers trying to give her a little comfort.

"The Cullens don't like anybody...well; they don't notice anybody enough to like them. But he's still staring at you."

"Stop looking at him," she hissed.

Jess snickered, but she looked away.

Mike interrupted us then – he was planning an epic battle of the blizzard in the parking lot after school and wanted us to join. Jess agreed enthusiastically. The way she looked at Mike left little doubt that she would be up for anything he suggested. But when we went to the door to go to Geography, everyone including myself groaned in unison. It was raining, washing all traces of the snow away in clear, icy ribbons down the side of the walkway.

"Hello," said a quiet, musical voice. I looked up from taking my things out of my bag surprised. Edward was sitting as far away from Bella and I as the desk allowed, but his chair was angled toward us. His hair was dripping wet, dishevelled – even so, he looked like he'd just finished shooting a commercial for hair gel. His face was friendly, open, a slight smile on his lips. But his eyes were careful.

"My name is Edward Cullen," he continued. "I didn't have a chance to introduce myself last week.

"You kind of did –" I comment, only to be ignored as he carried on.

"You must be Molly and Bella Swan."

"H-how do you know my name?" Bella stammered stunned. I mentally face palmed. Everyone knew our names! That was proven repeatedly last week.

He laughed a soft, enchanting laugh.

"Oh, I think everyone knows your name. The whole town's been waiting for you both to arrive."

Called it!

"No," She persisted. "I meant, why did you call me Bella?"

He seemed confused. "Do you prefer Isabella?"

"No, I like Bella," she said. "But I think Charlie – OW – I mean my Dad – must call me Isabella behind my back – that's what everyone here seems to know me as," Bella awkwardly tried to explain, rubbing her shin which I had kicked, as I looked at her weirdly.

"Oh." He let it drop.

Suddenly I identified that subtle difference in his face.

"Did you get contacts?" I blurted out unthinkingly.

He seemed puzzled by my unexpected question. "No."

"Oh," I mumbled. "I thought there was something different about your eyes."

"It's the fluorescents." He shrugged, and looked away; his hands clenched into hard fists again. Liar!

I sat down sideways in my seat so my back was leaning against the wall.

Glancing back over at him I could see that he was leaning away from us again, his hands gripping the edge of the table with unmistakable tension.

"It's too bad about the snow, isn't it?" Edward asked.

"Not really," Bella answered as I sadly agreed with him.

"You don't like the cold."

"Or the wet."

"Forks must be a difficult place for you to live," he mused.

"You have no idea," Bella muttered darkly.

"If you hate cold and rain so much, why move to the wettest place in the continental U.S.?" He asked, well more like demanded, a look of fascination on his face.

"It's... complicated."

"I think I can keep up," he pressed.

Bella paused for a long moment. "My mother got remarried," she said.

"That doesn't sound so complex," he disagreed, sympathetically. "When did that happen?"

"Last September." Bella said sounding sad, which confused me.

"And you don't like him," Edward summarized, his tone kind.

"No, Phil is fine. Too young, maybe, but nice enough."

"Why didn't you stay with them?"

"Phil travels a lot. He plays ball for a living."

I smiled at that.

"Have I heard of him?" he asked, smiling as well.

"Probably not," I chipped in. "He doesn't play well. Strictly minor league. He moves around a lot."

"And your mother sent you both here so that she could travel with him." He said it as an assumption again, not a question.

"No." I say annoyed with his sudden need to know everything about us. Who did he think he was; glaring at us for no reason then demanding our life stories! Not to mention lying about his eyes! Why should we spill when he won't?!

His eyebrows knitted together. "I don't understand," he admitted, seeming unnecessarily frustrated by that fact.

Bella sighed as Edward continued to stare at her with obvious curiosity.

"She stayed with us at first, but she missed him. It made her unhappy... so I decided it was time to spend some quality time with Charlie – OW - dad." Her voice was glum but she turned to glare at me as I kicked her again.

"But now you're unhappy," he pointed out.

"And?" She challenged.

"That doesn't seem fair." He shrugged, but his eyes were intense.

"Hasn't anyone ever told you? Life isn't fair." I say hoping he could take the hint.

"I believe I have heard that somewhere before," he says dryly.

"So that's all," Bella insisted.

His gaze became appraising. "You put on a good show," he said slowly. "But I'd be willing to bet that you're suffering more than you let anyone see."

Bella grimaced as I looked worriedly towards her.

"Am I wrong?" After a couple of moments of silence he spoke again. "I didn't think so," he murmured smugly.

"Why does it matter to you?" I asked, irritated.

"That's a very good question," he muttered, so quietly that I wondered if he was talking to himself.

After a few seconds of silence Bella sighed as I scowled at the board.

"I'm sorry; I'm just trying to figure you both out. Am I annoying you?" he asked suddenly amused.

"Yes!" I answer immediately.

"Not exactly." Bella replied glancing over at him. "I'm more annoyed at myself. My face is so easy to read – my mother always calls me her open book."

"That's because you are." I say making Bella look at me in annoyance. Why was she annoyed? She was the one spilling our life story to a stranger. Not any stranger either, him! The person who'd made her miserable all week.

"On the contrary, I find you very difficult to read." Edward told her truthfully.

"Seriously?" I ask in disbelief.

"You must be a good reader then," Bella replies flirtily, ignoring me.

"Usually." He smiled widely, flashing a set of perfect, ultra white teeth.

I looked on in disgust as they made goo-goo eyes at each other, glad when the bell finally rang.

Edward rushed as swiftly and as gracefully from the room as he had last Monday, with Alice happily skipping out after him.

The rain was just a mist as we walked to the parking lot, but I was happier when I was in the dry cab. Bella quickly got the heater running whilst I fluffed my damp hair out so the heater could dry it on the way home.

Suddenly, Bella threw the truck into reverse, almost hitting a rusty Toyota Corolla in her haste, stomping hard on the brake just in time.

"Bella, what the hell?" I ask annoyed and confused by her sudden change in mood.

She took a deep breath in response, and cautiously pulled out again – this time with less aggression.


	3. Chapter 3 - Phenomenon

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE TWILIGHT SAGA OR THE CONCEPT; ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE ORIGINAL OWNERS.**

**AN: This is going to be a Molly Swan X Jacob Black story but there will be many other couples mentioned as well. I will try to stick to the storyline as much as possible, but I will change some things to fit my own. Sorry about any grammar or spelling mistakes as I tend to type fast and miss things. All reviews are welcome, the more feedback I get the more inspired I am to write and the quicker I will update. Critique is appreciated as long as it's constructive and all questions asked will be answered at the bottom of each chapter.**

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><p><span>Chapter 3 – Phenomenon<span>

When I woke up the next morning, something was different. It was the light. It was still the grey-green light of a cloudy day in the forest, but it was clearer somehow. I realized there was no fog veiling my window.

I jumped up to look outside, and then squealed happily.

A fine layer of snow covered the yard, dusted the top of my truck, and whitened the road. All the rain from yesterday had frozen solid – coating the needles on the trees in fantastic, gorgeous patterns, and making the driveway an ice slick. It was deadly for Bella; she had enough trouble not falling down when the ground was dry, so, it was probably safer for her stay in bed!

I had a quick bowl of cereal and some orange juice. I felt excited to go to school, and that was a scary thought!

It took every ounce of Bella's concentration to make it down the icy brick driveway alive. She slipped once and fell on her ass on a patch of ice and Dad, who was heading out to work at the time, hurried over and helped her up as I burst out laughing.

"You okay, Bells?" He asked. She almost lost her balance again when she finally got to the truck, but managed to cling to the side mirror and save herself, much to mine and Dad's amusement. Clearly, today was going to be a nightmare for her. But brilliant for me!

"Ice doesn't help the uncoordinated," Bella said stating the obvious.

"That's why I got you new tires. The other ones where nearly bald," Dad said heading towards his cruiser. "I'll be late for dinner. I'm heading down to Masons County. A security guard at the Grisham Mill got killed by some kind of animal."

"An animal?" Bella asked confused.

"You're not in Phoenix anymore, honey. They've been hunting it for a week with no luck. Thought I'd lend a hand," Dad said.

"Be careful," I say worried.

"Always am," he replies.

"And thank you for the tires," Bella added as an afterthought.

He nodded and headed for work as we headed for school.

Bella's truck seemed to have no problem with the black ice that covered the roads. She drove awfully slowly though.

When I finally got out of the truck at school, something silver caught my eye, and I walked to where Bella was, also looking at the back of the truck to examine the tires. There were thin chains crisscrossed in diamond shapes around them.

Guess Dad forgot to mention he had snow chains put on them too.

Suddenly I heard an odd sound. It was a high-pitched screech, and it was fast becoming painfully loud.

I looked up, startled, before everything went suddenly black.

I woke up to a bright, white light. I was in an unfamiliar room, a white room with pastel coloured curtains.

"Molly?" I heard a familiar voice from next to me.

"Tyler?" I ask turning to look at him, but stopping when a sudden blinding pain shot through my skull. "What happened?"

"I'm so sorry, Molly! I tried to stop! I thought I was going to kill you! I was going too fast, and I hit the ice wrong..." He trailed off as Bella rushed in.

"Molly! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, what happened?" I ask again, Tyler's answers being too vague.

She told me everything about how Tyler's van skidded, and how she pushed me out of the way and I ended up slipping on the ice and hitting my head. She then told me about Edward Cullen and how he stopped the van from crushing us and her earlier confrontation with him.

"He said he was next to us the whole time," Bella said uncertainly. "He wasn't, was he?"

"I'm sorry Bella," I reply not knowing what to say. I mean she just told me he lifted a speeding van off us. "I don't remember. I blacked out before anything actually happened."

"Right," she trailed off disappointed.

"Hey, are you okay? You don't look hurt, are you?" I ask trying to take her mind off of Edward.

"No, I'm fine," she says looking at me again.

"And Tyler?" I ask glancing over at him. We spoke quietly so he couldn't hear.

"Nothing too serious, just a couple of cuts on his forehead and cheek," Bella said.

A doctor walked around the corner then with Dad, and my mouth fell open slightly. He was young, he was blond... and he was handsomer than any movie star I'd ever seen! He was pale, though, and tired-looking, with circles under his eyes. From Dad's description, this had to be Edward's father.

"Miss Swan," Dr Cullen said in a remarkably appealing voice. "How are you feeling?"

"Okay," I said still trying to process everything. "My head hurts a lot though!"

"That would be because you have a cracked skull," he said looking over my chart. "You must have hit your head pretty hard."

"I'm so sorry Molly! I tried to stop," Tyler repeated.

"It's okay Tyler -"

"It's sure as hell not okay," Dad cut me off.

"Dad, it's not his fault -"

"We nearly lost you!" Dad says sternly, cutting me off again.

"But you didn't," I manage to say without getting cut off.

Knowing he wasn't going to win this, Dad instead turns and glares at Tyler. "You can kiss your licence goodbye!"

"I'm so sorry -" Tyler started again, but was cut off by Dad abruptly pulling the curtain between the two beds so he was no longer in view.

Whilst I was distracted, Dr Cullen had done a quick check over.

"Nothing too serious but you will have to stay in for a while," Dr Cullen said signing my chart with a flourish. "It sounds like you both were extremely lucky."

"Lucky Edward happened to be standing next to me," Bella amends, speaking for the first time. I look at her in confusion. I thought she said he was by his car, on the other side of the car park.

"Edward? Your boy?" Dad asks Dr Cullen.

"Oh, well, yes," Dr Cullen says, suddenly occupied with the papers in front of him.

Bella watched him carefully for his reaction.

He paused before smiling politely at us. "As long as you're all safe. Excuse me."

Bella stayed sat with as Dr Cullen and Dad left to sign some papers.

"I thought you said, Edward was by his car?" I whisper to Bella really confused.

"He was," she says simply, smiling.

"Then why did you say he was next to you?"

"Because whatever he's hiding, the Doctor is in on it too," Bella whispers back so that Tyler wouldn't hear.

"Ohh," I whisper back not really sure what else to say.

"Anyway, I better go," Bella says getting up and putting her coat on. "Mum wants you to call or e-mail her as soon as."

"Okay," I reply as she hugs me gently, trying not to move me too much.


	4. Chapter 4 - Invitations

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE TWILIGHT SAGA OR THE CONCEPT; ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE ORIGINAL OWNERS.**

**AN: This is going to be a Molly Swan X Jacob Black story but there will be many other couples mentioned as well. I will try to stick to the storyline as much as possible, but I will change some things to fit my own. Sorry about any grammar or spelling mistakes as I tend to type fast and miss things. All reviews are welcome, the more feedback I get the more inspired I am to write and the quicker I will update. Critique is appreciated as long as it's constructive and all questions asked will be answered at the bottom of each chapter.**

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><p><span>Chapter 4 – Invitations<span>

It was the beginning of April when I was finally let out of hospital and the month that followed the accident was uneasy, tense and slightly embarrassing. Bella and I found ourselves the centre of attention everywhere we went.

No one seemed concerned about Edward, though Bella explained over and over that he was the hero – how he had pulled her out of the way and had nearly been crushed, too. But, everyone else always commented that they hadn't even seen him there till the van was pulled away.

Edward was never surrounded by crowds of curious bystanders eager for his first-hand account. People avoided him as usual. The Cullens and the Hales sat at the same table as always, not eating, talking only among themselves. None of them, especially Edward, glanced our way anymore.

When he sat behind us in class, as far from Bella and me as the table would allow, he seemed totally unaware of our presence. Only now and then, when his fists would suddenly ball up – skin stretched even whiter over the bones and eyes getting darker and darker – did I wonder if he wasn't quite as oblivious as he appeared.

He was already seated next to Alice when we got to Geography, looking straight ahead. Bella and I sat down in our usual seats and like usual, he showed no sign that he realized we were there.

"Hello, Edward," Bella said pleasantly to which I rolled my eyes. Although she somehow came to the conclusion that he wished he hadn't saved her, she still fawned over him. It was icky!

He turned his head a fraction toward her without meeting her gaze, nodded once, and then looked the other way.

The snow washed away for good after that one dangerously icy day. Mike was disappointed he'd never gotten to stage his snowball fight, but pleased that the beach trip would soon be possible. The rain continued heavily, though, and the weeks passed.

Jess made me aware of another event looming on the horizon – she called Monday night to ask mine and Bella's permission to invite Mike to the girls' choice spring dance in two weeks.

"Are you sure you don't mind... you weren't planning to ask him?" she persisted when I told her I didn't mind in the least.

"No, Jess, I'm not going," I assured her gritting my teeth in my anger. Dancing was glaringly outside Bella's range of abilities, so she decided to tell everyone that we were visiting our mum on the day of the dance, completely disregarding my feelings over the situation. "You have fun with Mike," I encouraged in a nicer tone.

The next day, I was surprised that Jess wasn't her usual gushing self. She was silent as she walked by my side between classes, and I was afraid to ask her why. If Mike had turned her down, I was the last person she'd want to tell.

My fears were strengthened during lunch when Jess sat as far from Mike as possible, chatting animatedly with Eric. Mike was unusually quiet.

Mike was still quiet as he walked Angela and me to our Catering and Hospitality class, the uncomfortable look on his face a bad sign. But he didn't broach the subject until we were right outside the classroom and Angela had gone inside.

"So," Mike said, looking at the floor, "Jessica asked me to the spring dance."

"That's great." I made my voice bright and enthusiastic. "You'll have a lot of fun with her."

"Well..." He floundered as he examined my smile, clearly not happy with my response. "I told her I had to think about it."

"Why would you do that?" I asked confused, though I was relieved he hadn't given her an absolute no.

His face was bright red as he looked down again.

"I was wondering if... well, if you might be planning to ask me."

I paused for a moment, anger rushing through me.

"Mike, I think you should tell her yes," I said.

"Did you already ask someone?"

"No. I'm not going to the dance at all."

"Why not?" Mike demanded rudely.

"Me AND Bella are going to visit our mum that Saturday," I replied stiffly my eyes narrowing at his reply.

"Can't you go some other weekend?"

"You shouldn't make Jess wait any longer – it's rude." I say ending the conversation, not even bothering to reply to his last comment.

"Yeah, you're right," he mumbled, and turned, dejected, to walk to his class.

It was a relief, to leave when class had finally finished – I almost ran to the truck. The truck had suffered only minimal damage in the accident. Bella had to replace the taillights, and had a real paint job done, after much pressing on my part.

"Hey, Tyler," I called seeing a tall dark figure leaning against Bella's truck.

"Hey, Molly!" He called back grinning.

"What's up?" I say leaning next to him against the truck as I waited for Bella.

"I was just wondering... if you would go to the spring dance with me?"

"I thought it was girls' choice," I ask teasingly raising my eyebrow at him.

"Well, yeah," he admitted, unphased.

"I'm not going to be in town, Tyler," I sigh in annoyance. I had to remember it wasn't his fault that Bella had pretty much made my decision for me and that Mike was a jerk. I mean who says maybe to a girl then asks her friend after asking said friend's sister!

"Yeah, Mike said that," he admitted.

"Then why -"

He shrugged. "I was hoping you were just letting him down easy."

"Sorry, Tyler," I said, smiling sadly. "I really am going out of town."

"That's cool. We still have prom."

Then he walked off leaving me staring after him in shock.

I jumped when Bella somehow managed to get passed me without my knowledge and yank the car door open, slamming it loudly behind her. She revved the engine deafeningly as I jumped in the passenger seat and reversed out into the aisle only for a familiar shiny Volvo to slide out smoothly in front of her, cutting her off. He stopped there – to wait for his family; I could see the four of them walking this way, but still by the cafeteria.

While I was sitting there, watching the line behind us form as Bella silently fumed I heard a knock from Bella's side. I looked over; it was Eric. I glanced back in my rear-view mirror, confused. His car, which was behind us, was still running, the door left open.

"I'm sorry, Eric, I'm stuck behind Cullen." Bella said annoyed.

"Oh, I know - I just wanted to ask you something while we're trapped here." He said nervously.

My eyes widened as I realised what was happening and had to bite back a laugh at the look of horror on Bella's face.

"Will you ask me to the spring dance?" he asked, his voice breaking on the last word.

"I'm not going to be in town, Eric." Bella replied, sounding a little sharp. "Thank you for asking me though," Bella added sounding a little warmer.

"Oh," he said. "Well, maybe next time."

"Sure," she agreed, and then bit her lip.

He slouched off, back toward his car.

I looked forward to see Alice, Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper all sliding into the Volvo. In his rear-view mirror, Edward's eyes were on Bella. He was unquestionably shaking with laughter, as if he'd heard every word Eric and Bella had said.

Bella revved the engine and Edward was suddenly speeding away.

Bella drove home slowly, muttering to herself the whole way.

When we finally got home, Bella went off to make dinner whilst I went up to my room to call Jess.

She was jubilant; Mike had caught her after school to accept her invitation.

"I totally thought Mike was going to ask you or Bella! ...Is it gonna be weird?" Jess asked after a moment's hesitation.

"No way! You guys are great together!" I tell her honestly.

"I know, right?" She said giddily.

I celebrated with her for a while longer, before she had to go. She wanted to call Angela and Lauren to tell them.

After I hung up, Bella came rushing into my room to tell me everything that happened today with Edward.

"…and he said it was better that we weren't friends! What did he mean by that?" Bella gushed her mood all over the place.

"Get out!" I say when she finally slowed down enough for me to get a word in.

"What?" She asks confusion evident on her face.

"I said GET OUT!" I shout standing now.

"Are you still mad at me about the school dance?" She asks also annoyed.

"Oh no, I'm fine about that," I say sarcastically. "It's not like I've never been to a school dance before or that I've never been asked to one. No, why would I be mad about that? Of course it's about that!" I scream as she goes to talk. "You know how much I struggled in Phoenix! You know how much I wanted to fit in! You never had a problem! You were always the quite one that no one noticed! I wish no one noticed me! It would have been better than being bullied every day for how I look, how I dress! But no…! And now that I am finally happy somewhere and getting these small things like; like being asked to a school dance, my own sister, who knows how much I have wanted to go to one decides I can't go because she doesn't want to! Why couldn't you have said YOU were going to Seattle or something, ALONE? Why did you have to drag me into it?"

"I'm sorry, Molly," Bella said guiltily. "I didn't know –"

"But you did! You were there! You were the one I talked to when I was crying! You were the one that held me whilst I was wishing I wasn't such a freak!"

There was a moment of silence between us as I caught my breath, silent tears streaming down my face.

"Just get out," I tell her much more quietly this time.

I didn't go down for dinner when called, not feeling all that hungry. I had just finished getting ready for bed when someone finally came up to check on me; that person being Bella.

"I just came to say that I told Charlie that on the night of the dance I will be going to Seattle for the day. So…could you cover for me?"

I kept my back to her, refusing to answer as she waited. When she finally got the point she left closing the door quietly behind her.

When I heard her go to bed I finally left my room and joined my Dad on the sofa. We didn't need to speak he just knew. He pulled me into a hug and we watch the game together, commenting on it every once in a while.

The next morning, when Bella pulled into the parking lot, I immediately left and walked in with Tyler.

"What happened?" He asked immediately catching onto my mood.

"Nothing, just got into a fight with Bella."

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked nicely. It wasn't his usual teasing or cocky attitude which threw me slightly but I welcomed it. And suddenly everything came spilling out…

"Don't you think, maybe you overreacted a little?" Tyler asked hesitantly.

"It's not just about the school dance; it is about what it represented!" I glared at him. "Boys!" I growled storming off to my first class.

I stormed into Hair and Beauty class not even realising when I first walked in that class had already started.

"Thank you for joining us, Miss Swan," our teacher whose name I could not remember, said in a disapproving tone.

I blushed and hurried to my seat.

The rest of the morning passed in a blur. Jess babbled on and on about her dance plans on the way to lunch.

"La Push, baby. You in?" Eric asked as soon as we sat down.

"Should I know what that means?" Bella asked standing behind us.

"La Push beach, down on the Quileute rez. We're all going this weekend. Big swell coming in," Mike explained for her.

"And I don't just surf the internet," Eric says dramatically standing on the table.

"Eric, you stood up once. On a foam board," Jess rolls her eyes as she pulls him back down.

"There's whale watching, too. Come with," Angela added.

"La Push, baby. La Push," Eric said dragging out the 'sh'.

"I'll go if you stop saying that," I say making the guys cheer as Bella left to get her lunch.

Suddenly Jessica grabbed my arm and pointed in the direction of the food bar. I looked up just in time to see Bella fumble and drop an apple before Edward Cullen caught it with his foot and kicks it back up into his hands.

"Uh, wow!" I say looking on in a mixture of confusion and disbelief. What the hell was that and when did they become best friends?

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><p><strong>AN: Hey everyone!<strong>

**Thank you all so much for your reviews, favoriting/following my story and me. I love reading them, and as promised here are the answers to your questions.**

**Leibeezer - I probably wont be doing updates in other character point of views, mainly because; 1) it's Molly's story. 2) We already know what goes on in Bella's point of view. Sure I've added her sister to the mix but I'm trying to stick to the storyline as much as possible, so not much will change from her perspective. Plus, if it does you will know. Same goes for Edward. But who knows? I might change my mind and one day you might get a glimpse into the minds of someone else. Like Jacob or Lauren (random I know). **

**So again thank you for your reviews ,and keep them coming. It really does kick my butt into action knowing that people are actually reading and enjoying my stories.**

**- Nobody's Perfect 26**


	5. Chapter 5 - Blood Type

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE TWILIGHT SAGA OR THE CONCEPT; ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE ORIGINAL OWNERS.**

**AN: This is going to be a Molly Swan X Jacob Black story but there will be many other couples mentioned as well. I will try to stick to the storyline as much as possible, but I will change some things to fit my own. Sorry about any grammar or spelling mistakes as I tend to type fast and miss things. All reviews are welcome, the more feedback I get the more inspired I am to write and the quicker I will update. Critique is appreciated as long as it's constructive and all questions asked will be answered at the bottom of each chapter.**

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><p><span>Chapter 5 – Blood Type<span>

I was standing outside my Art & Design class in my apron after being sent out when I saw it. Mike dragging my sisters limp body around campus.

"Oh my god, what happened?" I say running over to them worried. "Is she hurt? Sick? Mike, what did you do to her?" I demand angrily trying to get answers. I put my arm around her waist and her arm which was closest to me around my shoulder. She leaned heavily on me as I sat her down up against the wall. She was pale. Much paler than normal and clammy.

"Nothing! I did nothing," Mike defended as she helped me set her down. "We were doing blood typing in Biology and she fainted," he said holding his bloody finger up to me.

"Put that thing away Newton," I say hoping my sister didn't see, however judging from the green tinge to her skin she did.

"Wow, you're green Bella," Mike says unhelpfully stating the obvious.

"Bella?" A familiar voice asks from behind me, making me jump slightly. "What's wrong - is she hurt?" Edward asked me sounding upset.

"I think she fainted," Mike replies for me. "I don't know what happened, she didn't even stick her finger."

"Aren't you in her Biology class, shouldn't you know that already?" I ask Edward, both of us ignoring Mike.

"I ditched," Edward said kneeling down on the other side of her. "Bella, can you hear me?"

"No, go away," Bella groaned, making us laugh slightly in relief.

"I was taking her to the nurse," Mike piped up. "But Molly side-tracked me."

"We'll take her from here," I say watching as Edward lifted her easily into his arms. "You can go back to class."

"No," Mike protested eyes on Edward. "I'm supposed to do it."

"Put me down!" Bella demanded urgently, but instead of doing as she asked, Edward started walking.

"You look awful," he told her, grinning.

"Hey!" Mike called following behind us, not giving up.

"Put me back on the sidewalk," Bella moaned as Edward held her slightly away from his body.

"So you faint at the sight of blood?" Edward asked amused.

"Not even her own blood," I continued when Bella didn't answer. Edward and I exchanged glances, both of us enjoying this. Payback!

I opened the door to the mint green walls of the medical office.

"Oh my!" the nurse said putting down her book.

"She fainted in Biology," Edward explained, placing her on the crackly paper that covered the brown vinyl mattress on the one cot. "They're blood typing."

The grandmotherly nurse nodded sagely. "There's always one."

I snickered as Edward came and joined me, standing against the wall.

"Just lie down for a minute honey; it'll pass," the nurse told my sister.

"I know," she sighed.

"Does this happen a lot?"

"Sometimes," Bella said.

"Every time she sees blood," I answer her truthfully as Bella glared at me and Edward coughed to hide another laugh.

"You can go back to class," the nurse told us.

"We're supposed to stay with her." Edward said this with such assured authority that - even though she pursed her lips - the nurse didn't argue it further.

"I'll go and get some ice for your forehead, dear," the nurse told Bella and then bustled out of the room.

"Apron," Edward whispered to me.

"Oh," I quickly took it off and threw it into the corner of the room, hoping the nurse didn't notice when we came in and would call us out on it.

"You we're right," Bella moaned closing her eyes and confusing me.

"I usually am - but about what in particular this time," Edward answered.

"Ditching is healthy." I raised my eyebrow at this. Did my goody goody little sister just say breaking the rules was a good thing?!

"You scared me for a minute there," Edward admitted after a pause. His tone made it sound like he was confessing a humiliating weakness. "I though Newton was dragging your dead body to bury it in the woods... and your sister was helping him." He said the last bit teasingly.

"Oi," I say elbowing him in the ribs. I think it hurt me more than it hurt him because it felt like hitting a statue.

"Honestly - I've seen corpses with better colour. I was concerned I'd have to protect Mike from Molly avenging your murder!"

"Dead on," I said.

"Pun intended?" Edward asked.

"No happy coincidence," I tell him grinning.

"Poor Mike, I'll bet he's mad," Bella said putting our attention back on her.

"He absolutely loathes me," Edward said cheerfully.

"So does pretty much every guy at the school," I tell him.

"True..."

"You cant know that," Bella argued.

"I saw his face - I could tell."

"How did you see me, I thought you were ditching?"

"I was in my car, listening to a CD," Edward said to which Bella looked surprised.

The door opened and the nurse came back with a cold compress in her hand.

"Here you go dear," she laid it across Bella's forehead. "You're looking better," she added.

"I think I'm fine," Bella said sitting up. The nurse was about to make her lay back down when the door opened again, this time by red-headed lady from reception whose name I could not remember.

"We've got another one," she warned. Bella took this opportunity to hop down from the bed for the next person.

"Here, I don't need this," Bella said giving the compress back.

Mike staggered through the door, now supporting a sallow looking boy, obviously from Bella's Biology class. Edward, Bella and I drew back against the wall to give them more room.

"Oh no," Edward muttered. "Go out of the office, Bella."

She looked up at him bewildered.

"Trust me - go," he said. She immediately did as he asked and we followed her out.

"You actually listened to me," Edward said stunned.

"I smelled the blood," Bella said wrinkling her nose.

"People cant smell blood," Edward contradicted.

"Well I can - that's what makes me sick. It smells like rust...and salt." He stared at her with an unfathomable expression. "What?"

"It's nothing."

Mike came through the door then, glancing between the three of us. The look he gave Edward confirmed what Edward had said about Mike loathing him. He looked back at Bella, his eyes glum.

"You look better," he accused.

"Just keep your hand in your pocket," Bella warned.

"It's not bleeding anymore," he muttered. "You going back to class?"

"Are you kidding? She'd just have to turn around and come back," I say. He looked disappointed.

"Yeah I guess... so are you both going this weekend? To the beach?" Whilst he spoke, he flashed another glare towards Edward, who was standing against the cluttered reception desk, motionless as a sculpture, staring off into space.

"Sure," Bella said.

Mike turned towards me. "I said I was in."

"We're meeting at my dad's store, at ten." His eyes flickered to Edward again, wondering if he'd given out too much information. His body language made it clear that it wasn't an open invitation.

"We'll be there," Bella promises.

"I'll see you in gym then," Mike nods at me moving uncertainly towards the door.

"See you," Bella says.

He looks between the two of us once more, his round face slightly pouting, and then as he walked slowly through the door, his shoulder slumped. A swell of sympathy washed over me. I felt sorry for the guy but at the same time, we'd made it clear we weren't interested but he kept pushing. It made every encounter with him really awkward! Not to mention he had the hots for both of us which was not right!

"That's true," Bella said startling me out of my thoughts. I looked at her confused. "You said it out loud," she explained.

"Ahh, glad we're on the same wavelength," I say talking about Mike.

"Gym," Bella groaned.

"I can take care of that," Edward said making me jump. I'd forgot he was there. "Go sit down and look pale...no not you Molly, Bella."

"Oh right, haha," I say laughing it off.

Bella sat down on one of the creaky fold up chairs and rested her head against the wall, closing her eyes. I sat down next to her anyway to make it look like I was checking she was alright as Edward called for the receptionist.

"Mrs Cope?" He called softly. That's her name!

"Yes?"

"Bella has gym next hour, and I don't think she feels well enough. Actually I was thinking I should take her home now. Do you think you could excuse her from class?" His voice like melting honey.

"Do you need to be excused to, Edward," Mrs Cope fluttered.

"No, I have Mrs Goff, she wont mind."

"I do!" I piped up.

"Molly what are you doing here - shouldn't you be in class?" Mrs Cope asked only just noticing me. I should have kept my mouth shut!

"I was looking after my sister," I defended.

"How did you know she was here, you're not in the same class." I should have kept my mouth shut!

"...Well it was nice catching up with you all, I better be going back to lesson," I say getting up and walking away. Not before shooting a glare at Edward who was smirking at me, eyes dancing with amusement. "Hope you feel better soon baby sis!"

When I got home Bella was lying on the sofa watching TV.

"How you feeling?" I ask coming to sit next to her.

"Much better thanks," she replied sitting up giving me more room. "I really am sorry about the whole dance thing," Bella said after a moments pause.

"It's fine, I overreacted -"

"No you didn't. You were right, I was being selfish, only thinking of myself. I didn't take your thoughts into consideration and I hurt you because of it. I'm sorry," Bella said.

"You're forgiven," I say glad she apologised properly and understood why I freaked out on her.

"How did you know that I'd fainted? I mean, how did you know I'd left class?" Bella asked lying her head on my lap.

"I got sent out of class and saw him attempting to carry you to the medical room. I freaked and ran other thinking the worse."

"I could tell," Bella says teasingly. "Why did you get sent out?"

"I flicked paint on Lauren Mallory," I replied giggling at the memory.

"You didn't," Bella giggled. "Why?"

My smile faded slightly. "She was being a bitch! Anyway she completely overreacted. It was like I'd tipped the whole pot over her head, although that would have been much funnier...Always next time! Anyway tell me what's going on between you and Edward Cullen!" And just like that it was all forgotten.


End file.
